Possible Epidemic? The Chikungunya Virus Is Starting To Spread In America

Cases of the chikungunya virus are appearing in the United States at a level that is far higher than anything health officials have seen in recent years, and now there are two confirmed cases of people that have not even traveled out of the country getting the virus. That means that the chikungunya virus is starting to spread in America, and once it starts spreading it is really hard to stop. Instead of spreading human to human, this virus actually spreads “person-to–mosquito-to-person”. If you live in an area of the country where there are a lot of mosquitos, you should pay close attention to this article. You do not want to get the chikungunya virus. According to Slate, the name of this virus “comes from a Makonde word meaning ‘that which bends up,’ referring to the contortions sufferers put themselves through due to intense joint pain.” That does not sound fun at all. Fortunately, the U.S. has not really been affected by this disease in recent years, but an epidemic has already been declared in Puerto Rico, and some experts are now saying that it is only a matter of time before we see one in the United States.

&nbsp

From 2006 to 2013, the largest number of cases of the chikungunya virus in the U.S. in a single year was just 65.

But by July 15th of this year there were already 357 reported cases, and health officials are bracing for the worst.

Of course of biggest concern is what just happened in Florida. For the first time, health officials have isolated cases of the chikungunya virus that they know were transmitted locally…

U.S. health officials on Thursday confirmed two locally acquired cases of chikungunya in Florida. In Puerto Rico, the government has declared an epidemic of the mosquito-borne virus, with reports of more than 200 diagnosed cases since June 25 in San Juan and surrounding areas.

On Thursday, the CDC confirmed a 50-year-old male in Palm Beach, Fla. was diagnosed with the virus, and had not recently traveled outside the country. Florida state health officials are also reporting a 41-year-old woman in Miami Dade Country has been diagnosed with locally transmitted chikungunya. The CDC has not yet provided confirmation on the second case. Local transmission occurs when the insect bites a person with the infection and then transmits the virus by biting others.

So if you live in south Florida, you should really be trying to avoid mosquitos right about now.

But Florida is not the only state that is on high alert at this point.

Over in Texas, there have been five confirmed cases of the chikungunya virus so far. The following is an excerpt about one that was just discovered in Montgomery County…

The Montgomery County Public Health District is confirming their first case of the Chikungunya virus.

“The individual is a male teenager of Montgomery County who has recently traveled outside of the United States,” said Jennifer Nichols-Contella, Public Information Officer for the Montgomery County Public Health District.

And health officials in Kentucky were quite alarmed when they recently found a confirmed case in their state…

“We have been testing our first potential cases of Chikungunya virus in Kentucky residents who recently traveled to areas where the disease is present, and have received confirmation of one positive result so far,” said Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, state epidemiologist and DPH deputy commissioner.

Overall, there are now 30 states that have confirmed cases. In every case but the two in Florida mentioned above, it involved someone that had traveled internationally and came back…

The Center for Disease Control and state health departments are monitoring cases of Chikungunya, a virus that causes high fever, joint and muscle pain and headaches.

The virus has been reported in 153 cases linked to international travel, said Kristen Norlund, CDC spokeswoman, “meaning someone went to a place where the virus was circulating, got infected and then came back.”

Louisiana is one of 30 states with confirmed cases in residents who traveled internationally.

With so many cases already, it is going to be really difficult to keep a lid on this outbreak. All it is going to take is a few well-timed mosquito bites and we could be off to the races.

Fortunately, the chikungunya virus is usually not fatal. But if you do get it, you will probably remember the experience for the rest of your life…

With illness onset, the person develops high fever, chills, and joint pain, followed in some by a rash on the trunk, limbs and face lasting 3-4 days. Muscle and joint pain last about one week. Joint pain is often severe and in some people lasts longer, up to several months.

And just because it is usually not fatal does not mean that there would not be a lot of deaths during a full-blown epidemic. The following analysis is from an article about the virus by Jeff Danner…

The current epidemic in the Dominican Republic may provide some insight. Since chikungunya struck the Dominican Republic in early April, there have been almost 200,000 cases, an incidence rate of 20 per thousand for this nation of 10 million people. If the Southeast, with a population approximately 80 million, had the same incidence rate as the Dominican Republic, we would expect 1.5 million cases in the first 100 days of an epidemic. However, due to widespread availability of insect repellent here and our stay-inside-the-air-conditioned-space lifestyles, our incidence rate is likely to be lower. For the sake of argument, let’s assume our incidence rate will be 1/3 that of the Dominican Republic. This would translate to a half a million cases in the first hundred days, and we would then project approximately 10 million cases in the first year. With chikungunya’s fatality rate of 0.4%, an epidemic of this scale would kill 40,000, with fatalities being disproportionately among the very old and very young.

And the chikungunya virus is not the only virus carried by mosquitos that health officials are alarmed about this summer.

The Massachusetts Department of Health just confirmed that a July 15th laboratory test in Plymouth County has tested positive for EEE, a dangerous virus that can cause inflammation of the brain and in one third of cases, death.

Even though the only reported case of EEE in Massachusetts was more than 80 miles to our east, our chances in western Massachusetts of getting it just went up. But it probably wouldn’t be the mosquitoes bringing it here.

Birds are typically the long range carrier of triple E, taking the disease over many miles. Mosquitoes then bite the birds and become the local source for infection when they bite a human.

For decades, Americans really haven’t had to be concerned about the deadly diseases that are carried by mosquitos that cause so much problems in much of the rest of the world.

But now things are changing.

We are seeing very unusual disease outbreaks all over the planet, and the next great pandemic could be just around the corner.

Over in Africa, one of the worst outbreaks of the ebola virus ever recorded has already killed more than 600 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

If that virus ends up traveling over to the United States, it will make the chikungunya virus look like a Sunday picnic.

It has been a really long time since the U.S. has had to deal with a full-blown health crisis.

Hopefully the chikungunya virus will not turn into one.

But as the globe continues to become a smaller and more interconnected place, experts warn that it is only a matter of time before the next great pandemic hits us.

Post navigation

Matthew 24:7 assures us we will eventually have to deal with plagues in the land. Not looking forward to that….

DJohn1

Isn’t this virus coming from places like South America? Mexico?
It wouldn’t be tracked in by illegal immigrants would it?
Just one more thing on the list of things.
But nothing is wrong, ask the Republicans. They will tell you there are no impeachable offenses . . .

laura m.

It comes from cruise ships and cargo ships, shipping crates, etc.( eggs hatch from), also with the refugees. Mosquitoes in luggage, handbags, also. Climate change and mosquito migration also. Dems and Rep. are all useless and tools of the global elitists. Voting is a crock of BS I quit voting over 35 years ago as things always move to the left towards socialism/fascism. America is finished; down the crapper. Now, I must go buy some lite wt pants so I won’t get bit by a mosquito. Get the bug repellent (Deet, etc) and use it on back and legs of lawn furniture, hats, pants and shoes.

setheaster

It’s that attitude that’s put us in the crapper in the first place. What if all the people who “don’t vote” for whatever childish reason would again? What might we accomplish then?

English Kev

Why is choosing not to vote childish seth?
A little bit judgemental there don’t you think?
Just what the funk do you think voting actually achieves apart from the short burst of adrenalin when you convince yourself it actually mattered a toss?
And in answer to your question,
Naff all.

Airedale

It’s not childish, it’s irresponsible. Put into power the best available. We have to keep encouraging better choices and discouraging bad choices.
Our country eroded slowly over the past decades. We have to swing the pendulum the other way, even if it takes decades.
Giving up just encourages bad choices.

English Kev

every type of politician is working for the same paymaster.
If we are talking responsibility here then it is far more responsible and far better for the next generation if ‘none of the above’ was written on the voting slip. The very fact that generations of gullible people have traipsed off to the polling booths to vote for whichever shower of corrupt s@$t thinking it will change the agenda is breathtakingly naive at best and downright destructive at worst.
Have a look around.There are no better choices,just re-invented liars and psychopaths forever willing to sell the same crock dressed up to fool the terminally stupid.

able

That’s ridiculous. Your logic just does not make any sense. I mean, your failure at logic. When the good stop caring, stop participating, stop VOTING – who do you think is going to take over? I can’t believe you can’t see that. How’s that go, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing… hmmmmm…

laura m.

Why do you trust any politician scum? Politicians are bought by mega corp/ and or top dog bankers – didn’t your elders or parents teach you anything? I’m a retiree and have seen the downgrade for five decades. Get a life, wake up seth and get an smart person to mentor you in global elite agenda. Other websites to read: World net daily, Steve Quayle, Alex Jones on info wars, good ones to get you started.

abel

Funny. I don’t see Seth saying he trusts “any politician scum.” But like I said below, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” I’d think you would have already learned that in your five marvelous decades.
I also had to “lol” at “Get a life.” I love internet trolls. Oh you guys make my day. Hilarious

DJohn1

Who gains if Obama is kept in office? Think about it.
So if they track disease into the country, who gains from that?
Why the political party out of power of course . . .
The trick is old as the hills. Make the party in power look bad or incompetent. I suggest that the party made to look bad might be both parties in Congress if they are not careful. Remember that the second person in line for the Presidency is John Boehner, Speaker of the House. So if something did happen to Obama, Joe Biden, becomes President, and if something happens to both, then it is John Boehner becomes President. And that it is the problem. Of course, John Boehner wouldn’t want an impeachment. It might take both of those men out and make him in charge. Then the entire leadership falls on the opposition party and they are no better at solving things than the Demoncrats are.

In the meantime, back in the good old USA, we get to have plagues.

Hard to take you seriously

Learn how to use commas man

JasonD

I think he uses commas pretty well. Although his writing style isn’t particularly provocative, his grammar is good and his analysis is mostly right on as far as I’m concerned.

TruthIsAll

So you think the power is just getting ready to be switched to the other hand again?

Regardless, impeachment is the very least that should happen and it should be applied to the former presidents still alive. What we really need is some rope and a tall tree. Power comes from the bottom up despite what people may think. The easiest thing to do is simply have everyone rebel and stop giving consent all at once. But those are high hopes for such a dependent and apathetic populace.

It sure seems like the end times are coming with the whole fulfilling prophecies, plagues, rampant evil and such.

Kentuckytraveller

Having been in Haiti in late June, I can attest that the virus there is rampant. About 80% of the Haitians we had contact with either had Chikungunya or were getting over it. Of a mission team of 42 people from Kentucky, we had about 15 people contract it. When we returned to Kentucky, we had at least 10 active cases. For most people, it was a lot like a case of a typical virus with fever and body aches, and most recovered in 3-4 days. However, for some people, it has been very difficult to recover. Two of our team are still dealing with rheumatoid-like joint pain and swollen joints a month after having contracted the virus. Not cool. Avoid it if you can.

Me

Ummmmm, so hows about NOT bringing viruses from 3rd world &^%I@ holes back to Kentucky, for a start. That would certainly help my family and children avoid it. Not cool Kentuckytraveller!

Diana

It’s only one on a list of many that have been resurrected in biochemical labs all over the US and China and elsewhere. They are trying sooooooooooo hard to kill us off.

Tatiana Covington

Chikungonnagetya!

RockyMtHigh

Doesn’t anyone do any research? Yes, this virus is nasty, and if you get it, you’ll be miserable for a few days. Afterwards, you will gave a lifelong immunity to it. Stand by for a vaccine.
Anyway, there is a “tick” transmitted disease called “Lymes Disease” which if you do your research, you will find much more horrifying.
It’s been around the U.S. for……ever.
If you contract this disease, the rest of your life will be affected.
Research it yourselves! I’m just saying.

JT

I was somewhat joking tongue in cheek with a friend the other day about the ebola virus coming to America. It’s isn’t something I’m all that concerned about happening though. Of course the chikungunya virus is something to keep an eye out for. Being a resident of S. Florida bug bites is something I, and others I know, do our best to avoid. Not always easy when living near the sea. Overall sadly, when researching into the virus industry, it is quite controversial. A lesser known book that I thought covered in detail many of the virus controversies is German Dr. Claus Kohnlein’s book, “Virus Mania”. Better know in America, Dr. Marc Siegel professor of Medicine at New York city and seen frequently on TV, wrote a book in 2005 that I thought said it well, “The Real Empidemic is Fear” “False Alarm, The Trust about the Epidemic of Fear”. If cynical enough, some might even say that there is good money to be made in promoting fear.

Jodi

An ebola outbreak is really scary. I hope we don’t see that here in the states.

Rastus

Answer: DDT

Armel

Some of the best things people can do to actively enhance their immune systems include stopping smoking, or at least using a better form of nicotine, rather than a cigarette, which has preservatives you would find in a mortuary; and growing your own garden to ensure that you’re the person responsible for the vegetables that come into your house…We don’t need to have our foods imported from Mexico and California….if we would simply take the time to manage even a small garden, the benefits would be apparent financially as well as nutritionally. And staying home rather than roaming around malls and places where there are lots of other people. Economically, we are in a depression and we shouldn’t be spending money anyway, but wandering through stores, holding the same shopping carts as the people and their kids who drooled all over it before you….eating out at restaurants…where people you don’t know make food you don’t know where it came from and then charge you more than you should rationally pay for it to begin with. There are many simple habits that we can all do to prevent the spread of viruses and different contagions.